New Partial Travel Ban Doesn't Cause Chaos At O'Hare Airport That 1st One Did

CHICAGO, IL — When President Donald Trump's original attempt at a travel ban was enacted in January, the executive order that blocked travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries was met with protests as well as confusion at airports across the country, including Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Nearly six months later, a new draft of the ban received a much different reception at O'Hare when it went into effect Thursday night.

Earlier this week, the US Supreme Court reinstated parts of Trump's revised travel ban, which was redrafted after it was blocked by two federal appeallate courts. The new ban now restricts travelers from six Muslim-majority nations — Iran, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Sudan and Somalia — from entering the United States for 90 days and suspends the country's refugee program for 120 days. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

But Monday's decision stipulates that the ban does not apply to travelers who can prove a "bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States." The Superme Court will hear arguments in the case in October in order to rule whether the executive order is lawful.

RELATED: Supreme Court Reinstates Part Of Trump Travel Ban, Will Hear Case In October

With parts of the ban in place, lawyers, immigration advocates and other volunteers were at O'Hare on Thursday, June 29, to keep an eye on incoming flights from the Middle East and provide help for those airline passengers and their families who might be affected by the executive order, much like they had in January, the Chicago Tribune reports. As of Thursday night, there had been no reports of foreign travelers being detained at O'Hare because of the ban, the report added.

The Travelers Assistance Project — a group of volunteers who help those travelers going to Chicago registered at its website navigate the ban — will have at least two lawyers at O'Hare's international terminal over the Fourth of July weekend, the report stated. They will be available to help anyone who is detained by federal authorities because of the executive order, the report added. They also will be on hand to ensure the ban is being properly enforced, a problem that was evident in January when the project's volunteer lawyers helped with the release of more than a dozen detained travelers.

"Obviously there was no guidance given to [US Customs and Border Patrol agents] at the first order, and that's why the chaos occurred," Matt Pryor, one of the project's leaders, told the Tribune.

RELATED: Muslim-Ban Detainees At O'Hare Released

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has been outspoken about the Trump administration's immigration policies, was critical of the Supreme Court's ruling to allow the ban — even a protracted version of it — while it waits to hear the case.

"The Supreme Court’s decision to allow President Trump’s travel and refugee ban to go into effect is deeply concerning, and we strongly oppose this ill-conceived and discriminatory ban," he said in a statement Monday. "Make no mistake, Chicago will continue to be a welcoming city and stand up for the values that have made us a beacon of hope for immigrants and refugees from around the world for generations."

More via the Chicago Tribune

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